Railway-signal



. (No M el) W. P. HALL.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. v No. 447,318. Patented Mar. 8,1891.

IigJ- INV TOH 6W 'maiam 125m.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

\VILLIAM P. IIALL, OF GREEN \VICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, 'MAINE.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,318, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed October 16, 1890- Serial No. 368,313. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. HALL, a citizen of the UnitedStatcs, residing in Green- \vich, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway signaling apparatus, and has particu- IO lar reference to the construction and means of showing the signals known as semaphores. Many railroads prefer semaphoresignals to those which have-colored disks, as the former convey the desired intelligence by means of the positions of the arms; but

these do not convey signals at night, and lanterns showing colored lights are then necessary.

The object of my invention is to provide a semaphore that signals the same at night as by day, and by means of the position of the arm will always indicate dange1"orsafety at any period of the twenty-four hours.

To this end my invention consists in the 2 5 combination, with a semaphore-arm of a certain color, of a background therefor of contrasting color, and means for illuminating one or the other of them.

In the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my signal mounted on a post; and Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1, taken on line 2 2.

011 the post A is mounted a case B, having 3 5 preferably a front of transparent glass 6 and a back of translucent material, as ground glass 6. To one side of the case at c is hinged the semaphore-arm C, which may-be operated by any suitable means, as a magnet, in the small case 0, or a system of rods and levers. The arm C is composed of a light frame of wire having red silk stretched over it, or it may be constructed in any suitable way and of any desired material and color; but I consider red silk preferable. The two positions of the arms-C are indicated in Fig. 1 by solid and dotted lines, respectively. The background b' is of white or light-colored material, and I provide means for illuminating this background, as indicated in the drawings. The material is ground glass, and back of it is a bracket (1 for supporting at night a lantern D, the light from which illuminates the ground glass Z) and shows the color as well asthe position of the arm C to the engineer of a train approaching the signal. The lantern is provided with a diffusing-reflector to throw the light as equally as possible over the background, imparting to it a white appearance, against which the position, shape, and color of the semaphore are clearly disoernible.

WVhile preferring the construction above described, I do not limit myself thereto, as the background might be opaque and have a white surface, which would reflect light thrown upon it by a lamp located in front and to one side of the said background. Again, the background might be dark and the arm of light colored material. In this case, if the material of the arm is opaque, the lamp should be located in front of both the arm and background and reflect light back upon both.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a railway-signal, the combination,with a semaphore-arm or signal-banner, of a background upon which the position of the same is indicated, said semaphore or banner and background having contrasting colors, and means for artificially illuminating one of said elements, substantially as described.

2. In a railway-signal, the combination,with a. colored semaphore-arm or signal-banner through which light may pass anda contrasting colored background upon which the position of the same is indicated, of means for artificially illuminating one'of said elements, substantially as described.

3. Inarailway-signal,thecombination,with 9c a semaphore-arm or signal-banner, of a translucent background upon which the position of thesame is indicated, and means for illuminating said background, substantially as described.

4. In arailway-signal, the combination,with a translucent semaphore-arm or signal-ban nor, of a translucent background therefor upon which the position of the same is indicated, and a lamp located behind said background, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a railway-signal, the c0mbinati0n,with a semaphore-arm 0r signal-banner, of anilluminated background or screen upon which the position of the semaphore-arm or banner is indicated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto :tffixed my name in the presence of two subscribing 10 witnesses.

P. IIATJTJ.

NVitnesses:

M. P. HALL, J. A. MOORHEAD. 

